This invention relates to a cake decorator having a power drive. More specifically, this invention relates to such a cake decorator in which the power is activated by manipulating a switch handle in the same kind of twisting motion in which decorator pastry has been traditionally extruded from a fabric cake decorator bag.
The need for a powered cake decorator should be apparent to those in the business who for long periods are required to twist the usual pastry bag to compress the fluid inside and extrude it out the nozzle. Home cooks and pastry chefs have objected to earlier powered decorators in that the operation has been awkward and unnatural. There has been a need for a powered cake decorator in which the activation of the power is by a more natural twisting action such as has been used in performing the job manually by gripping the nozzle with one hand and twisting the bag with the other.
It is an object of this invention to provide a decorator having the aforesaid action.
The invention is a cake decorator comprising a housing including reservoir cylinder and piston and power section. The piston is mounted on a threaded rod extending rearwardly and operatively engaging a gear wheel or nut mounted for rotation in the power section. The gear wheel has a central threaded opening operatively engaging the threaded rod. The gear wheel is connected through a gear train to a small electric motor whereby the motor can drive the gear wheel to propel the rod and piston forward or rearward of the cylinder. The cylinder terminates at its forward end in the usual decorator nozzle.
Mounted for limited rotation at the rear of the housing is a handle, and spring means biases the handle in a neutral rotary position. An offset pin on the handle extending inside the housing engages selectively micro-switches to connect the motor to a battery also in the housing to drive the piston in one direction or the other depending on in which direction the handle is twisted.